Into the Light: From an Abusive Past to a Healing Future

by Richard McCann

In his first book, McCann told the harrowing story of how he and his sisters were left motherless when the Yorkshire Ripper killed his first victim. Here, he comes to terms with the loss of his childhood by talking to others, learning how to accept what has happened and move on.

Paperback

First published April 15, 2007

About the author

Richard McCann was a writer of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. He lived in Washington, D.C., where he was a longtime professor in the MFA Program in Creative Writing at American University.
A gay writer,[1] he was the author of Mother of Sorrows, a collection of linked stories. It won the 2005 John C. Zacharis First Book Award from Ploughshares and was also an American Library Association Stonewall Book Award recipient, as well as a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award. Amazon named it one of the Top 50 Books of 2005.
McCann's book of poems, Ghost Letters, won the 1994 Beatrice Hawley and Capricorn Poetry awards. With Michael Klein, he edited Things Shaped in Passing: More 'Poets for Life' Writing from the AIDS Pandemic. His stories, poems, and essays have appeared in The Atlantic," Esquire, Ms., Tin House, Ploughshares, and numerous anthologies, including The O. Henry Prize Stories 2007, Best American Essays 2000, and The Penguin Book of Gay Short Stories. He received fellowships from the Guggenheim and Rockefeller foundations and the Yaddo Corporation. In 2010, he was the Master Artist at The Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach, FL

Reviews

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

You need to read this book. I love Richard McCann, hes such an inspiration to me and his books are amazing. This is the second one of his books that I have read and I 110% recommend that you read it. Its emotional, its empowering, its everything you need from a book. I couldn't put it down.

[Jane French · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truthful narrative of a man and his family who had lost their mum at the hands of the Yorkshire Ripper, and how he changed their lives. A very easy read.

[Miriam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book that shows yes the system gets it wrong so many times to the degradation of destroying peoples entire lives. Please I hope the right people read this and learn from it. It should be included in their training.

[Tim Newell]

well written personal account of traumatic loss in horrific circumstances

[Iola Shaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

a nice bridge between his first book and how he progressed, definitely wouldn't make sense without reading about a boy first though!

[Nor Mazlina · Rating 4 out of 5]

"good in making everyone understand about survival skills"